As he prepares to host his eighth Rose of Tralee competition, Dáithí Ó Sé takes a trip down memory lane and picks his favourite moments from his tenure.
A total of 58 Roses will ascend on Tralee for the event this Monday and Tuesday and this will be 41-year-old Dáithí's eighth year helming the hugely-popular event. He’s become as much a part of the festival as the gúnas, the (good and bad) party pieces, and the on-air surprises and revelations.
In fact, Dáithí is so dotty about the Rose of Tralee that he married 2008 New Jersey Rose, Rita Talty and they are now the proud parents of three-year-old Mícheál Óg.
Walking on stage for the first time as host
Taking the mantle from previous host Ray D'Arcy, Dáithí first hosted the contest in 2010 and became the 11th person to hold the position, following stings by the likes of Gay Byrne, Mike Murphy and Ryan Tubridy.
"When I heard 'please welcome your host...' it was a pinch me moment!."
The proposal
Who could forget the infamous moment when New Orleans Rose Molly Molloy Gamble's boyfriend Kyle Catlett got down on one knee on stage? Her repeated 'no' and eventual 'yes' made TV viewing history, with the happy moment going viral around the world.
"When nine nos means a yes in Kerry!! They are married now and still very much in love." - Dáithí
Wearing high heels
After watching a Rose learn to walk in heels, Dáithí thought 'how hard could that be?' and after getting some special shoes made for him 'in an adult shop', he showed off his elegance and grace on the Rose of Tralee stage - by nearly walking into the Garda band!
"I was one of the most nerve wracking things I did on live TV."
The one that went teats up
The 2012 Rose of Tralee almost had a last minute surprise entrant - Daisy the cow. Planned as part of one of the contestant's talents, the idea was to milk Daisy live on TV, but due to a case of stage fright, it just wasn't to be.
"30 seconds to go, it was called off! I couldn't believe it! But that's the beauty of live TV - you never know when it's going to happen." - Dáithí
The Rose Of Tralee can be seen on RTÉ One on Monday August 21 at 8.00pm and on RTÉ One on Tuesday August 22 at 8.00pm.
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